Expansion to East Coast validates Autobahn Labs’ novel incubator model
PALO ALTO, CA (June 7, 2021) – Autobahn Labs, an early-stage drug discovery incubator, today announced a new strategic venture collaboration with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL). Together with Autobahn Labs, CSHL will identify promising research programs with therapeutic potential and partner to form promising new drug discovery companies.
“We’re delighted to partner with CSHL, expanding our reach and collaborations with top faculty working on truly compelling science with strong therapeutic potential,” said Thomas Novak, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Autobahn Labs. “Cold Spring Harbor is a close-knit and collegial campus that also has cultivated one of the premier scientific meeting programs in the world.”
“Autobahn has the ability to get involved early and put their resources into CSHL’s drug discovery programs and generate a pipeline of highly investable spin-out companies,” said Andrew Whiteley, CSHL Vice President, Business Development and Technology Transfer. “This collaboration will enable us to more quickly advance our basic biology expertise from the lab to the clinic.”
Under terms of the agreements with CSHL, Autobahn Labs will invest up to $5M in funding and biopharmaceutical services into specific programs yet to be identified. Since its launch in June 2020, Autobahn Labs has announced partnerships with four leading institutions and has started two new drug discovery programs.
Backed by Samsara BioCapital, Evotec SE, and KCK Ltd, Autobahn Labs invests earlier than traditional venture financing models, providing intellectual, financial and physical capital to efficiently and effectively advance new scientific discoveries from novel concept to preclinical drug candidate. Institutions benefit from Autobahn’s strategy and operational support, as well as the industry-leading drug discovery capabilities of Evotec, a global leader in drug discovery and development. Pre-agreement on many of the economic and intellectual property terms that govern the relationship further facilitates the negotiation and creation of jointly-owned new companies.
About Autobahn Labs
Autobahn Labs is a virtual incubator for early-stage drug discovery and development, partnering with leading research institutions to accelerate the advancement of novel science to deliver transformational new therapies for patients. The organization invests intellectual, financial and physical capital, applying a proven drug discovery framework to efficiently and effectively move projects from feasibility to novel drug candidates. Autobahn Labs was created by Samsara BioCapital, a leading life sciences venture capital firm, Evotec, a global leader in drug discovery research which provides Autobahn Labs partner companies with access to more than 3,000 scientists globally, and KCK Ltd, a family investment fund. For more information, visit www.autobahn-labs.com.
About Evotec’s BRIDGE model: Partnering to accelerate innovation
Evotec has created a new paradigm to translate early-stage academic research to drug discovery and development called “BRIDGE” (Biomedical Research, Innovation & Development Generation Efficiency), an integrated fund and award framework to tap into exciting academic science to accelerate the formation of spin-out companies and generate partnerships with Pharma and biotech. Through these efforts, Evotec has defined a new formula for fast-track early-stage drug discovery. Since the launch of the BRIDGE model in 2016, Evotec has formed and funded a series of BRIDGE partnerships, including LAB282, LAB150, beLAB1407, beLAB2122,Autobahn Labs and others. For more information about Evotec’s BRIDGE initiatives, visit http://www.evotec.com/en/innovate/bridges.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Peg Rusconi
Verge Scientific Communications
prusconi@vergescientific.com
617.910.6217
